The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Crossbow of Elector Augustus I of Saxony

Crossbow of Elector Augustus I of Saxony

c. 1553–73
wood (walnut?), bone veneers, flax cord, steel (etched, traces of gilding). woolen pompoms, stock decorated wih inlaid trophies of arms
Overall: 58.5 cm (23 1/16 in.); Bow: 58.5 cm (23 1/16 in.); Butt: 5.7 cm (2 1/4 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1723.a
Location: 210A Armor Court

Did You Know?

Augustus was a marksman who took part in crossbow competitions. He had a large collection and often gave them to friends.

Description

This crossbow was a hunting weapon for Prince Elector Augustus I, a member of the ruling elite in the Holy Roman Empire. Augustus, powerful and wealthy, had even the most practical instruments ornately decorated, including this crossbow and its cranequin, or winding device.
  • Richard Zschille (1847-1903), Leipzig, Germany
    -1916
    Frank Gair Macomber (1849-1941), Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1916-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924. Mentioned: pp. 175-176, G9; Reproduced: Plate XXXVIII, G9 archive.org
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.
    Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
    Eikelmann, Renate, Holger A. Klein, Stephen N. Fliegel, and Virginia Brilliant. The Cleveland Museum of Art: Meisterwerke von 300 bis 1550. München: Hirmer, 2007.
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
  • Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008).
    Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).
    The Forge of Vulcan: European Arms and Armor, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 30, 1992-May 30, 1993).
    Master Goldsmiths of the Renaissance: Their Models and Designs, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 2, 1982-March 20, 1983).
  • {{cite web|title=Crossbow of Elector Augustus I of Saxony|url=false|author=|year=c. 1553–73|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1723.a